Turkey Calls France Terrorism Host After Macron Meets Kurds

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey accused France of being a host for terrorism after President Emmanuel Macron met a delegation of Kurds from the Syrian Democratic Forces and praised their efforts in stabilizing areas in the northern parts of the country.

“If it’s accurate, the statement on mediation between Turkey and SDF amounts to crossing the line,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. “Those who yesterday hosted terrorists at the highest level once again should know this is only an expression of enmity against Turkey.”

Macron met Thursday in Paris with delegates from the SDF and “saluted” their efforts against Islamic State, which remains France’s priority, according to a statement the president’s office. “He assured the SDF of the support of France, in particular for the stabilization of the security zone in northeast Syria, within a framework of inclusive and balanced governance, to prevent any revival of Islamic State,” his office said.

Kurdish representatives told French media after the meeting that France could send soldiers to SDF-controlled areas in the northwest Syria. But Macron’s office on Friday said the government isn’t planning operations separate from the U.S.-led coalition. French air support and special forces helped SDF troops expel Islamic State from parts of eastern Syria, but aren’t thought to be in the northwest, where SDF is facing Turkish forces.

‘Irrational Step’

Those who cooperate with terror organizations attacking Turkey would be a “target for Turkey just like terrorists,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said in a series of tweets Friday. “We hope France doesn’t take such an irrational step.”

Macron’s statement “recalled France’s opposition to the PKK” and support for Turkey’s security, adding that given “the SDF’s promise to have no operational link with this terrorist group and to condemn all acts of terrorism,” Macron hopes “dialogue can be established between the SDF and Turkey with the assistance of France and the international community.”

France and the European Union consider the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is pushing for a separate Kurdish state in Turkey, to be a terrorist organization. The SDF is dominated by Syrian Kurds though it also includes Arab forces. Macron said SDF delegation was constituted equally of Arabs and Kurds, and of men and women.

Macron Thursday re-iterated his call for humanitarian access to the town of Afrin, which has been occupied by Turkish-supported rebels.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net, Taylan Bilgic in Istanbul at tbilgic2@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Crawford at acrawford6@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Ross Larsen

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